


Fantastic Babies and How to Care For Them

by flightinflame



Series: Creature Tails [3]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Adoption, Creature Fic, Fluff, Gen, Living in Newt Scamander's Suitcase, Protective creatures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-04
Updated: 2017-03-31
Packaged: 2018-09-28 07:36:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10079717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flightinflame/pseuds/flightinflame
Summary: Five times that Dougal took care of other kinds of creatures, and one time he started his own family.





	1. Niffler Puggles

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you Lourdesdeath for checking this over

It was clear from when he first saw the new human that things would be different. Looking at him, the demiguise didn't see more pain, or blades stealing his fur or threats of what they would do, how they could hurt him until he would show them what they wanted. The old humans seemed to think he could see the future, could tell them how a game of cards would fall. His sight didn't work like that. He saw what was likely. Ask him to predict the roll of a dice and he couldn't answer - not if the dice was fair. All six sides were equal so he couldn't pick.

The human was dressed funny, wearing a coat that reminded him of feathers, and the human crouched beside his case and spoke softly, seemingly unperturbed as the demiguise disappeared from sight.  
"I know, you must be very scared, you poor thing, well, if you let me see you I can see if you have injuries, but I understand you might be shy. I'm going to open the door of the cage. If you run away, I won't stop you, but if you would like to come with me you can. I travel, and we are in the middle of a city now. I can find a better home for you."

With that, the man opened the door, pocketed his wand and stepped back. The demiguise looked up at him and tilted his head. He could see it wasn't a trap. He reached up, climbing the human and cuddling onto his back. He was startled when he noticed a bowtruckle sat on his shoulder. 

The human scooped the bowtruckle up and put it in his hair.  
"There we go, now, come on, the smugglers will be getting back soon and it really would be best for all of us if they weren't to catch us..." With that, the human did the thing that magical humans did, where they disappeared and then reappeared somewhere else. Normally the demiguise was frightened by that, but with this human he wasn't. 

"You need a name." The human told him as he appeared into view. "I can't call you demiguise, it would be rude... how do you feel about Dougal?"

Dougal considered for a moment, and then nodded.  
"Hello Dougal, I'm Newt."  
Dougal nodded his head in understanding, knowing that Newt was his human and he would help him. He could see that Newt was the kind of person to get into a lot of trouble.

"I'm a magizoologist." Newt explained. "I'm researching creatures. I observe mostly, see their habits, but if a creature is injured, or in need of rescue, I take them with me. I know that Demiguise are very clever creatures. Do you think you would be willing to see what other creatures I have here? If it would interest you?"

Dougal nodded again, following Newt around the case. He hid from some of the larger beasts, seeing Newt crushed beneath their hooves or ripped apart by fangs. Slowly, he came to see that the beasts liked Newt, and he calmed a little.

Newt paused for a moment beside a small hollow filled with jewellery. Inside there was a small folded over cloth. Newt pealed it back. Inside, there were three dark small blobs, only the size of Dougal's fist.  
"These are the niffler puggles." Newt explained. "Nick, Noel and Nancy...their mother was caught in a trap and I ... I couldn't save her, so I brought them with me... they need warmth, so I've charmed this..."

Dougal tilted his head, looking at the creatures curiously. They were only babies, and really they needed care, but with what the human did it wouldn’t be safe for Newt to carry them. He paused, then reached into the golden hollow and lifted the three puggles into his arms, stroking his fingers through their fur.  
“Are you going to look after them for me?” Newt asked. Dougal looked at the three sleeping infants, and nodded his head. They needed to be looked after, and he knew he could take better care of them than any of the other creatures there.

“That is most kind of you.” Newt said with a smile, his eyes lighting up. Dougal nodded his head, and then went over to where Newt had stored the food. He found some small insects, which he chewed and then carefully fed the paste to each of the puggles in turn. They squeaked at him, and Dougal saw that they would grow strong.

***

It turned out that looking after three young nifflers was more of a chaotic experience than Dougal had expected. They were bigger now, half the size of full grown nifflers, and they were always exploring. They weren’t bad, not exactly. But they were nifflers, and like all nifflers they liked treasure. The very hint of something sparkly would have Nancy racing across the case. Nick was worse. He was able to duck out of Dougal’s grip and then race into Newt’s pocket, shoving a shining coin in his pouch. Newt would return the naughty puggle when he noticed it was there, and Dougal would chitter at the creature in warning, but the next chance Nick got he was back to his thieving ways.

Dougal found it hard to rest, his mind full of all the different ways that Nick could find himself getting hurt. He could have so many different accidents, and that frightened Dougal. He was fond of the young nifflers. They were like a family to him.

In desperation, he found some wool at the back of Newt’s shed, and fashioned three leashes. He wasn’t going to lose any of his foster children. Newt laughed when he saw them, but didn’t take any of them away, so Dougal decided that this was clearly a sign of approval. It was much easier to keep track of them once they were unable to run away, and he could see them getting stronger. They were doing so well.

Eventually, Nancy and Noel were released back into the freedom of the world outside. Nick remained, too much of a troublemaker to leave the case. Dougal was glad for that, not wanting to have to say goodbye to all three of his adoptive children.   
Newt smiled at him.  
“Think you could help with the next batch of hatchlings?” He asked, and Dougal was quick to nod.


	2. Newt

There were no hatchlings over the next few weeks - Newt was preoccupied with caring for a wounded thunderbird, and making sure that the graphorn habitat was as comfortable as possible for the oversized creatures. But Dougal didn't mind. He helped feed the mooncalves, and he helped Newt to keep an eye on Nick, make sure that nothing too valuable disappeared into the Niffler's pouch.

Newt was always quick to thank Dougal, and never showed any interest in stealing his fur or hurting him. Even though the case was full of creatures most humans saw as valuable, Newt didn't see them just as potion ingredients. He saw them as something else. As friends.

Dougal liked being Newt's friend. He could see that Newt didn't have enough friends, so he would follow him around the case and happily ate the apples and other treats he was given. Some days Nick the young niffler would climb into Newt's lap while he was working. Newt would run his fingers through Nick's fur, and Dougal felt a glimmer of pride at both of them. Nick had grown into almost his full size, and was a playful and happy creature.

Somewhat to Dougal's distress, Nick had worked out how to chew through leashes, and so was no longer easily containable. Dougal had got into the habit of carrying a shiny coin on him at all times, in order to tempt Nick back if he strayed too far. 

Today, Newt was at work in the shed, grinding and cutting up potion ingredients. Dougal stood in the doorway, alternating between watching the case and helping Newt. Everyone had already been fed, and Nick was sat on the workbench, eyeing the knife that Newt was using with some interest. After a few moments, he seemed to think better of it, and instead turned his attention to Newt's pen. Dougal jumped for the niffler just at the moment that the silver nib disappeared into his cavernous pouch.

Newt looked up from the ingredients to find Dougal holding Nick upsidedown. Nick was whining and squirming. Dougal glared at the naughty niffler, and then tickled him so that a pile of coins fell from him. He retrieved the pen from the collection, and held it out to Newt, before releasing Nick to re-stuff his pouch with purloined treasure. Nick quickly did so, before muttering and running away.  
"Thank you Dougal." Newt said softly, then continued his work. Dougal continued to keep watch.

It was after a few more hours had past that Dougal realised Newt hadn't eaten. The human was so focused on his work that he hadn't found any food. Dougal thought that was a worrying situation - while Dougal was no expert on human care, he knew that they needed to eat.

He paused, looking around the case. Normally Newt filled a glass with water from his wand, which Dougal knew he couldn't operate. Still, he fetched an empty glass and placed it in front of Newt.  
"You alright there Dougal?" Newt asked. Dougal leaned towards the glass and mimed lapping at the air with his tongue. Newt nodded quickly drew his wand. " _Aguamenti._ " He directed the clear water into the glass and held it out towards Dougal.

Dougal shook his head and pointed towards Newt. Newt paused for a moment and then nodded, taking a gulp of the water.  
"Thank you." He said softly. "I guess I was thirsty. You taking good care of me?"  
Dougal nodded enthusiastically, and then pulled an apple from a basket beside the desk and held it out towards him.  
"That for me?" Newt asked, before crunching into it. 

Dougal reached up to pat him on the head two times in order to encourage such behaviour. It was clear that actually, his human wasn't any harder to look after than the other creatures of the case. In fact, Dougal could see this as another job. He would help look after Newt until there were more babies. 

Newt patted Dougal in return, fingers running through long silver fur.   
"You take good care of me huh? It's good. Thank you. But I'm not one of your babies. Nick is, I'm not."

If Dougal had been able to talk to his human, he would have listed the myriad of ways that Newt reminded him of Nick - his foolish habit of dashing headlong into situations without considering the risk foremost on his consideration of both of them. But for now he decided it wasn't something he could convey. 

Instead, he settled back and waited for the next batch of babies in need of care to arrive.


	3. Occamy

It was Nick who found the next batch of babies, as Newt was searching through some smugglers' tents. He was looking healthier now. Dougal was ensuring he ate and slept, and he was flourishing. Dougal was careful to pat his hair to reward good behaviour, and it seemed to be working. Newt would even glance to him for approval when he was eating.

Dougal had never found a mate among his own kind, as demiguises had been hunted to near extinction. He had not seen another demiguise since he was a baby dysguise in his father's arms. But he still had a drive to protect children and care for them, the same as his father and grandfather before.

Nick had scampered over to Newt, dipping a paw into his pocket and pulling out a shining silver egg almost larger than he was. Newt had gasped.  
"Where are they?"  
Dougal had followed invisibly as Newt collected the five eggs, hiding them in his pouches and then quickly getting everyone out of there. 

That evening, Dougal had helped Newt in the preparation of a nest for the eggs. They were placed in a small woven basket, and Dougal was nearby to keep an eye on them. Four of them hatched without difficulty, and Newt began to carry the last around in his pouch in the hope that the warmth of his body would encourage it to hatch.

Dougal wished he could have carried the egg, but he did not possess a pouch. Instead, he spent his time looking after the other hatchlings, bringing them a range of insects to eat and stroking the underside of their throats, careful not to provoke a bite. Newt sat beside him after dinner, a basket on his lap containing an apple for Dougal and mashed up cockroaches for the babies.  
"These are occamy." Newt told him after a few moments had passed in silence between them. "They are very rare, so you need to be careful with them. They are beautiful, aren't they? Lovely colours?"

Dougal nodded, and then shivered as his vision supplied the information Newt had not spoken aloud. How these young occamy faced being harvested for their shells and for their scales. Unlike fur, that wouldn't grow back.

From that moment on, Dougal took his job of guarding extremely seriously. He made sure that Nick did not steal the babies' shells, in case they needed them, and he fed them regularly. Even Newt seemed impressed, letting him know he was doing well and they were growing strong.

Newt was always kind and caring whenever he opened the case, always making time to check on them even though he was busy with traveling. The problem was that one day the case opened, and it wasn't Newt who was there. It was on the same day that the last occamy had hatched, and Dougal was the proud father to five hatchlings. Nick had escaped, but Newt had brought him home and everything was alright.

At least, that was what Dougal had thought. His sight had foreseen a pleasant evening, playing with the occamy and letting Newt comb his fur. That tranquility was shattered when the case opened. A man with dark hair and a funny bit of fur on his face stared at them for a moment, and most of the occamy cowered away. 

One made a break for it. She slipped between the two sides of the case and out into the world, shaking with fear.  
Having secured the other babies, Dougal did the same, although he had the sense to be invisible when he left. He could hardly get away with causing more chaos. The escapee would be frightened and he had to find her before she got hurt.

He tracked the occamy to a department store, where she had settled in the attic. She was scared, and the fear had made her grow until she filled the space, snarling and hissing and seeming not to recognise Dougal as he stood before her massive coils.

Dougal fetched some food. He couldn't find enough insects to feed her in her current state, so he put together everything he could find. He knew that was what Newt would want. He was looking after her.

Newt would come, and when he arrived he would solve this, get her back to a sensible size and bring her home. Until that happened, all that Dougal could do was keep her calm and make sure she felt as safe as possible.

It was late, and he borrowed a handbag from a mannequin so that he could carry more food. He realised Newt was watching, but he didn't fear him. There were other humans there too, but Newt wouldn’t let any humans hurt Dougal or the others. That meant he was safe, and carefully he lead him up to his frightened child. He could trust Newt.

When the hatchling had been contained and returned to her siblings, Dougal relaxed, knowing he didn’t have to do this childcare thing by himself.


	4. Isaac Kowalski

The next baby that came along for Dougal to help with was a baby human. Newt had come back to America to meet the baby, and was staying with the three people who had helped to rescue the occamy - Newt had told him they would be staying for a couple of weeks. Dougal was happy about this, because he knew that the people here would help Newt to remember to eat. The occamy were much stronger and bigger now, and Newt's diet had much improved, so Dougal was eager to find someone else to care for.

The human baby was snuffling in its sleep. Dougal noticed it looked quite like a baby dysguise (the name demiguises used for their children, given their ability to become semi-transparent), although it wasn't quite the same - it lacked the fur, and while dysguises could cling onto their father's fur as soon as they were born, the human baby tended to just lay there.

Its mother, the pretty lady with the pink fur, was sat by the baby's cradle as the child's father worked in the kitchen, making more tasty cakes. Dougal was very honored to find that he had made a cake that looked like him. Nick had been confused by the niffler cake, nipping at it and attempting to make friends, before settling for stealing the chocolate coins that had been given to the pastry, left over from Hanukkah Gelt.

Dougal was careful to be visible as he approached the lady, tilting his head and looking at the baby human. He knew that the mother could read minds, and in doing so could almost predict the future. He concentrated very hard on the image of rocking the baby's cradle, and cuddling it if it was sad.  
"Are you sure?" The woman said after a moment. "Do you want to help look after Isaac?"

Dougal nodded quickly, glad she could tell what he was thinking.  
"That would be really kind of you." She smiled. "But not right now okay, he needs his sleep..."  
Dougal nodded again, not wanting to impose. He patted her knee and smiled, and then went down to the kitchen to find Newt, turning invisible as he went.

"Isaac?" Newt was talking to the father, a funny smile on his face - as though he wanted to cry. "You called the baby Isaac?"  
"It's a family name." The father explained. "Plus we talked about calling it Newt or Newton, but Queenie was adamant you don't like your name-"  
"It's a terrible name for a child." Newt agreed, and Dougal climbed up his leg, cuddling to his back as though he were a rucksack. "But-"  
"But we wanted to name the baby after you. And Queenie knows you like science, so-"

"Thank you." Newt replied, picking an apple from the table and holding it up to Dougal. "Hey there Dougal. I thought you wanted to meet Isaac?"

Dougal trilled his agreement, happily munching the apple as Newt stroked gentle fingers through his hair.  
"The demiguise wants to play with my kid?" The father asked, and Dougal was proud to see that he was protective of his baby. That showed he would be a good father.

"He does. He has a very strong paternal instinct. He acts as babysitter for a lot of my creatures. He raised Nick and the occamy, and I think..." Newt frowned a little. "I think he has been trying to look after me."

There was a sound of the baby crying from the other room, and Dougal scampered over to him and turning visible, smiling to find Queenie already cuddling the baby.  
"Hey there Dougal..." She greeted him. "I think he was just a little grouchy...It's alright..." She rocked the child until he settled in her arms, and then made her way to the sofa, sitting down and allowing Dougal to join her. He sat beside her and patted the little baby, then reached out and gently held Isaac against him, rocking him gently in an attempt to keep him calm. 

"You're doing great." Queenie smiled.   
"He is..." Newt agreed from the doorway, and the baby's father walked in and picked Isaac up carefully, hugging him close before letting Newt hold him.   
Dougal took the opportunity to check that Queenie was alright. She looked a little tired, so he quickly fetched her a pastry, pressing it into her hands. 

Queenie giggled and cuddled him tightly.  
"You are such a sweetheart." She murmured.   
Dougal decided that his family already consisted of a Newt, a niffler and several occamy. He could include these people as well.


	5. A Hippogriff Hatchling

Isaac was not in the house all the time, much to Dougal’s disappointment. But he saw the baby and his parents occasionally, and the baby’s father always gave Dougal lots of pastries. Dougal liked the pastries. He would keep them to one side, and then he could give them to Newt and a few of the others. It seemed to be working – Newt looked happy whenever he got a pastry.

The occamy and Nick didn’t like pastries, but that meant there were some left for Dougal, which Dougal liked. He spent a good few weeks with them, and with Newt. He was a little surprised when Newt came in one morning, looking distressed, his arms around something.

“Dougal?” Newt called out, and Dougal rushed to his side, staring at the brilliant egg he held. It was large and there was a crack in the side of it.  
Newt carried the egg carefully to a pile of grass, placing it down carefully. Dougal supported it, staring at the egg, startled as his eyes glowed a vivid blue and he saw the small hatchling curled up within it. There was a large beak, and fluffy wings, far too small to fly for the first few days of its life. 

“It fell when it was laid. It will hatch in five hours or so… I promised I’d help Theseus with an important case, can you look after them? I… I don’t know if they’d be okay, but…” Newt smiled fondly. “I know that this is going to be the best place for them.”

Dougal chittered happily, determined to take care of the egg while Newt was working. He nodded quickly, and arranged the grass to support the cracked shell. He tried to see the creature’s future. There was a possibility it wouldn’t make it. But that wasn’t likely. He held onto that idea.

The crack widened a little, and Dougal brushed his fingers over the fragments of shell, digging a claw in and carefully easing it away.

The creature inside stared up at him with huge eyes, and Dougal patted its damp feathers. The hatchling squeaked up at him, and Dougal carefully picked it out from the egg. He cuddled the hatchling to him, and carried it over to the shed, where he settled it down on the stool. He frowned a little, trying to consider what food the little one would like.

With no real idea of where to start, he began by thinking about the occamy. They had faces that were a little like hippogriffs, and ate cockroaches. That seemed like a good place to start. He picked out a small cockroach from the box, and held it out.

The little hippogriff devoured it and cheeped hopefully for more. Dougal was quick to provide it, chirping his encouragement. 

The hippogriff was asleep on Dougal’s lap when Newt returned, crouching down to look at the hippogriff.   
“You’ve got a son… we should give him a name. What about Albert?”  
Dougal shook his head. 

“George?”  
Dougal nodded quickly. This was his hippogriff to care for, and he was called George. He was determined to take care of him. Newt grinned at Dougal, reaching out to pat Dougal’s fur. Dougal glanced down at the small bundle of feathers.

“My mother always looked after hippogriffs. She bred them.” Newt’s eyes shined. “And I can help you with George….” Newt swallowed and frowned. “I know that you want a child of your own, but Nick’s been getting a little restless. So I thought you could take care of George?”

Dougal nodded in determination. He would look after the hatchling.

***

A week later, George had started to flap through the air, and Dougal was trying to work out how he could contain him. He whistled loudly.

George turned and dived towards him, nuzzling at his shoulder. He patted his child’s feathers and held out another cockroach. George nuzzled again, nearly knocking him over. Dougal stumbled backwards, and George chased him, beak clicking playfully. Dougal turned invisible to duck out of the way, and clambered up into a tree before whistling again, encouraging George to fly up towards him.


	6. Damien

George the hippogriff went to stay with Newt's parents after a few months. Newt had been working on editing his book, and George had found he fitted with the rest of the herd - although he did still occasionally carry pieces of fruit to Dougal in his beak.

It turned out that Newt's book was doing well. Newt talked to Dougal about it a lot. He didn't understand it all, although he understood that a lot of human children would be studying it. Isaac, Jacob and Queenie's little boy, would study it when he got older, and that made Dougal feel very proud, as though he had helped in some way with all the little witches and wizards. 

Anyway, because the book was doing so well, a second edition had been commissioned, and they were back to travelling. Leaving George behind was hard, but Dougal knew that Newt needed his help and care more than the hippogriff did. They were travelling the world again, searching out lesser known creatures, and Newt was taking the opportunity to research how creatures were treated, tackling smuggling and abuse of creatures wherever he could find it.

"Dougal, you do like travelling me, don't you?" Newt asked, looking a little concerned. "I... I mean, we are heading to the Far East soon, so-" Newt's face looked all crumpled up. Dougal launched up and scrambled up Newt's leg, clinging to him as tightly as he could. He squeaked and chittered at him until Newt relaxed. "I guess you want to stay then?" Newt asked with a smile, and Dougal nodded his head enthusiastically.

After that, there was no mention of Dougal leaving. He was home where he belonged, and he didn't need to leave. He stayed in the case, caring for the creatures as Newt explored, occasionally returning with animals that needed some time to recover. The occammy had shed their final set of juvenile scales, and the Fwooper had its own nest full of chicks. 

Dougal helped with the little balls of fluff, helping their mother corral the large family. He was curled up in his nest, getting some much needed rest, when Newt approached.  
"Dougal?" Newt asked softly. "Dougal, I need your help..."

Dougal lifted his head, and he saw that something small and fluffy was curled up against Newt's chest. The fur that he could see was snow white and sticking up in all angles. As he watched, it faded from visibility for a moment and then solidified again. 

Newt walked closer, and crouched down.  
"This... this is ... I think I'm going to call him Damien, if that's alright with you?" He asked, and held out a small dysguise - a baby demiguise. His fur had been cropped short everywhere other than his face, and he was far too thin. "The smugglers had killed his father to try and ..." Newt shook his head. "That doesn't matter. What matters is that he is still alive. Only just... but..."

Dougal reached out for the child with shaking hands. He pulled the baby against his chest, nuzzling the small beast and guiding him against his chest. He chattered to it softly, trying to reassure him, trying to stop him from panicking. He knew that this little one had been through a lot. Tiny hands fisted into his fur, and Damien was shivering. 

Dougal moved him, guiding him so that his face was resting against Dougal's shoulder, rubbing his back gently in an attempt to soothe him. The baby made a soft chittering noise, a sound of curiosity rather than fear, and Dougal saw a sudden blue burst of the future.

_Damien would grow strong. He would gain his confidence, and he would help Dougal to take care of all of the other creatures. Damien would one day be an excellent father, he could be certain of that._

Dougal looked up at Newt, who was watching him with wide eyes, hoping that this was going to be alright.   
"You okay with him?" Newt asked, and Dougal nodded slowly. His dream of having a child of his own to raise had come true, and Newt smiled brightly. "I knew you'd be good with him. If you need anything, then let me know." He paused. "Do you need... blankets? A smaller nest?"

Dougal shook his head, cuddling Damien to his chest with one arm, and then went to the forest section of the case. He chose the perfect branches, starting to weave a small nest that Damien could fit in alongside him. He picked a handful of suitable berries, and fed them to the small dysguise, determined to do this right.


End file.
